I. Field of the Invention
Being a major factor in maintaining or improving the economy of every country of the world, energy, most particularly the oil form, has been imposing more and more critical problems to all nations, it being a disappearing material aside from being a polutant and not available to all nations. Nuclear energy, aside from being costly and unsafe, is not also available to all nations. To ease these problems, efforts had been more exerted than ever to explore and make use of the alternative and regenerative energies that do not use the fuel oil, such as, the wind, the solar, the ocean energy, and the municipal wastes.
In this invention, particular attention is concentrated on the maximum harnessing of the ocean waves in the maximum effeciency and effectiveness of energy convertion out of whatever size or amplitude of available water-wave that arrives at the structure to actuate the energy converter system. It is also the objective of this invention to maximize production of consumable energy (compressed air, electricity, or hydrogen gas) out of the water-waves at any weather condition, and at any location of the body of water or any part of the ocean, in the most simple and safest way, and in the least cost of construction and least cost of maintenance with high durability.
II. Description of Prior Art
A. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,624, dated July 10, 1979 "Water Vehicle-Actuated Air Compressor and Systems Therefor" by Smith, the paddles, which are submerged at the bottom of the barge, are actuated by the tilting and oscillation movements of the barge and not by the direct impact of the waves. This kind of design of an energy converter works only with the modulated water waves, so it must be placed away from rough seas and away from the beaches where the surfs stand up and break, otherwise, the whole system will be destroyed, or build the system into a very heavy out of proportion structure. This air compressor by Smith can work to some extent but without much expectation of its performance because there are glaring drawbacks and limitations, such as, the following:
1. The floating barge in open sea will be tossed up and down causing wear and tear, and reducing the durability and efficiency of all the parts. Actually it will require a very heavy structure of construction to withstand the stresses imparted by the big surf specially during violent weather. The anchor chain must be strong enough to hold the barge against the heavy impact of the surf on the wide side of the barge. In the same manner, the structures holding the anchor chain must be strong enough to keep holding the chain, otherwise, the whole barge will be torn apart into peices. It therefor requires a very high cost of construction to withstand the forces of the waves during violent weather. This will result to a very low ratio of energy production against cost of construction and maintenance.
2. As per construction of the barge and the relative quantities and sizes of the paddles together with the steel compressed air tank and other machineries loaded on the barge, most of the energy brought in by the incoming water-wave will be spent splashing on the side of the barge and in tossing-up the heavy structure barge. Therefor, only a very small percentage of the energy offered by the waves is use to actuate the paddles.
3. The presented design of the paddles (parts Nos. 202 & 240), the compression cylinders (218), and the Piston (220), as shown in the drawings, no matter how they will be modified, as a water-wave actuated compressor is limited to a certain size or amplitude of the waves because, if the amplitudes of the waves are relatively shorter than the length of the compression cylinder the piston does not reach the dead end of the compression cylinder resulting to a situation where the entrapped air will not be compressed far enough so it will refuse to enter the storage tank which is supposed to be in high pressure to contain plenty of energy reserved therein; and if the size or amplitude of the waves are relatively longer than the length of the compression cylinder the piston will hit the dead end of the cylinder and stops there too early. The remaining part of the long wave amplitude will be spent or destroyed needlessly pushing the already locked or dead paddles, pressing it against the limiting walls of the barge, and tends to destroy the bearings and the connectors or the whole system. These special features of the patented design of the actuator-compression system limits the conversion of energy to a small quantity or a small percentage of the aboundant energy offered by the ocean waves.
4. During calm weather when the ocean waves are small, the heavy barge which is designed to withstand the big surfs will just be flattening the waves resulting to a zero efficiency, no production because there will be no oscillation.
5. There is no plurality of storage tank to meet the opportunity to store more energy.
B. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,316 dated Nov. 8, 1932 presented by J. A. LOCKFAW, the compressor System consisting of the Paddle, the Piston Rod, the Piston, the Compression Cylinder are constructed in the same manner as that presented by Smith. It can also work but with the following drawbacks and problems encountered:
1. This invention has the same problem encountered as problem No. 3 cited for Smith's which concerns the amplitude of the water-wave, which I hereby submit as objectionable feature and limitations of the design in its effectivity and efficiency of converting the available energy of the surfs. Plenty of wave energy will be wasted due to this problem.
2. There is much problem of inconvenience in adjusting the compressor or the system to synchronize with sizes of the incoming waves as the gearing-in or the gearing-out of the stand-by compression chambers has to be done manually which requires a full time operator.
3. This design requires a full time operatior to operate the car in adjusting the location of the power-board to synchronize with the elevation of the tides. This is also a problem of inconvenience.
4. A problem of durability is also an impedement to using this design because it will rust in salt water and easily destroyed by the waves during violent weather.
C. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 1,061,091 dated May 6, 1913 by J. C. LEWIS, this design works good as a water pump provided there is no violent weather. But to make it work as an air compressor, the pump being simple, the problem of varrying amplitued or wave sizes will again present the impedement for commercial use of this invention.
D. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 2,028,331 dated Jan. 21, 1936 by Hermann Janicke--a free piston three stage compressor, the following problems are present and impeds the commercial use of this design:
1. It requires fuel oil to make it work; PA1 2. If it will be modified with a system so that the piston be actuated by the water waves, the problem on the varrying amplitued of the waves will again be unsolved. That means, as cited problem No. 3 on Smith's compressor, the pump is limited to a particular size or amplitued of waves in relation with the length of compression chamber, it being a simple pump even if constructed into a multi-stage compressor. If the piston moves halfway or 3/4 of the length of the cylinder due to seasonal small waves available, the entrapped air partially compressed refuses to enter the storage tank and it will just kick the piston backward without storing energy because--(a) there are no valves in the pistons, (b) there are no valves at the rear end walls of the last compression cylinder, (c) the hollow piston, 2nd stage, is a hide out of partially compressed air that cannot be stored which will just kick the piston backward even if the piston has moved to the full length of the compression chamber. Thus, this pump presented by Janicke is a very poor performer when it is used to convert the energy of the water waves resulting to a very low ratio of production against cost. PA1 1. The problem on the effect of varying amplitude or sizes of the water-waves as explained in the forgoing paragraphs; PA1 2. The problem of ineffectiveness during violent weather when it should be the opportunity to produce plenty of energy; PA1 3. The very low ratio of energy production against cost of construction and maintenance, at the same time low efficiency. PA1 1. The bad effects of varying amplitude or sizes of the waves are solved by the ability of the chambers and pistons in series to trap and move the air forward even at a very small displacement made by the pistons. By connecting the piston rod at varying points along the vertical length of the said pendulum bar of the power board system according to the varying waves sizes to correspondingly limit the displacements of the piston to the length of the compression chambers, and also, to increase or decrease the mechanical advantage of the Power Board upon the compressor. In this way, the piston will just be playing within the free length of the compression chamber thereby removing or avoiding the danger of destroying the whole structure during violent weather taking the opportunity to convert plenty of energy during its maximum abundance. PA1 1. Where the prior arts stop working during violent weather due to the over sized waves rushing to the shore, the Free Hanging Pendulum-Type Power-Board takes the opportunity to work hard during those times of abundance without the danger of being destroyed because it is a free swinging board and the extra length of the over sized waves will just spill thru under the Power-Board as it gains elevation when it swings far enough. Therefor, the excess force of the unexpected over sized waves will not press so hard against the Power-Board after the piston has been pushed to the end of the chamber. Another safety procedure is that the piston rod will be connected to the vertical pendulum bar at a point where the expected furthest swing of the Power-Board will just be enough to push the piston to the end of the compression chamber. A hinge joint is provided at the lower third of the pendulum beam just above the impact wall to let the pendulum beam bend backward and relax the impact wall by the manipulation of the hydraulic jack control system in order to allow the over size surfs spill thru under the impact wall when ever the pistons are about to hit the end walls of the compression chambers thereby achieving safety to the whole structure while it will be working hard during violent weather taking the opportunity to convert plenty of energy during its maximum abundance. PA1 2. To achieve a high ratio of energy production during fair weather when the water waves are generally smaller, the piston rod will again be connected at a lower point on the pendulum beam to increase the displacement of the piston so that more air is compressed at every stroke of the small waves. PA1 3. The problem on the effects of rising high tides or varying water levels is solved by the floater pipes attached to the bottom of the impact wall to carry the whole pendulum frame floating vertically above the water as the suspension box housing connector at the upper tip of the pendulum beam frees said beam to move up or down, and by Floating Pipe Foundation Assembly over deep waters. PA1 4. The problem of heavy action of water waves against the walls of the floating barge is solved by my new design of a floating foundation which is in the form of 90% submerged pipe assembly laid horizontally on water on which the support posts of the power board is erected as shown in FIG. 5. PA1 5. The problem of high cost of construction and maintenance in relation to energy output is solved by its simplicity of construction and by using low cost available timber materials and plastic materials. PA1 6. The problem of too much energy of the water waves spent in splashing against the barge and in moving the barge up and down as presented by Smith is solved by eleminating the barge and by placing the Power Board System directly infront of the waves and directly bumping against the water waves or surfs.
In summary, all the aforementioned inventions presented by (A.) Smith, (B.) J. A. Lockfaw, (C.) J. C. Lewis, and (D.) Hermann Janicke have the following problems: